It really didn’t surprise Bryn that Rose didn’t remember his name or his face for that matter. Really, he might have been more freaked out if she did know who he was. Outside of the four classes that they shared, the two had virtually no interaction. A good thing probably, because he was sure he looked like an idiot at the moment. Which was a bad thing.

“Scandinavia,” Bryn replied, shrugging. He figured it was probably better to just leave it at that instead of the lengthy explanation of his family’s origins. It was already hard enough for the fourth-year to understand let alone explain, considering it was something that his father never really talked about. He had some level of brief conversation with his cousins all who attended Durmstrang. Through letters, he knew that some of the older ones had known Ruben but that was virtually all that was said. His cousins were basically where he got all the information about his family. “Sweden, specifically. Although I’ve lived in the States for most of my life.”

“The name means Killed Atli,” he continued, wrinkling his nose. “In Nordic anyway. It’s supposed to have something to do with an old Jarl back in Nordish mythology, but it’s really just something made up because Atli was killed by his wife as revenge for her slain brothers.” While his father refused to speak of their past, the boy had taken time to study it once he’d come to RMI. Unfortunately, Bryn only had very vague memories of his home back in Sweden. Most of their heritage had faded over the years in the United States. Norah didn’t know anything really, but Bryn could at least still spit out a few words in Old Western Norse before it all blurred into Swedish. Even then, they predominantly spoke English and any history was disregarded in ignorance. “But who knows, there could have been an entirely unrelated event with some Viking with my name killing another named Atli and that’s why the name means what it does.”

“It’s boring I guess,” Bryn amended, realized how lame his explanation must have seemed to the older student and feeling slightly embarrassed. Once again, he found himself wishing he could just shut his mouth. Merlin this woman made him uncomfortable. "Sorry for rambling."

Oh right, Bryn. Or apparently fully, ‘Brynjolf’. Rose mentally stored that on her list of really stupid names that people had given their kids. Brynjolf. What, was he some sort of Viking? No wonder... more